Soldier killed in Afghanistan named

A British soldier shot dead in southern Afghanistan has been named by the Ministry of Defence.

Sergeant Jonathan Mathews, 35, from Edinburgh, was on foot patrol in Helmand Province on Monday when his party came under Taliban fire.

He was evacuated by helicopter to the medical facility at Camp Bastion but died of a single gunshot wound.

His family said in a statement: "Jonathan trained all his life for the job he was doing, loved what he did, died doing what he loved, he was well respected. Loved by his wife Shona, daughter Meghan and stepson William and all the family.

"A lover of the outdoors, an Army man through and through, we will miss him, but it gives us great comfort knowing he died doing what he trained to do - he would not have had it any other way."

Sgt Mathews was from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, attached to 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment. He was in Afghanistan providing mentoring and training for the Afghan Army.

He was part of a joint Afghan-UK patrol, helping to protect local police in the Marjah area, west of Lashkar Gah, when he was shot.

The MoD said locals warned the patrol that Taliban were in the area, but before they were able to take up defensive positions the team came under fire. Sgt Mathews was killed by a single gun shot wound.

His death took the number of British service personnel who have lost their lives in the country since the start of operations in November 2001 to 113.

Lieutenant Colonel Jamie Campbell, Commanding Officer The Highlanders, said he was "an absolute professional, he was courageous, reliable to the core and unwaveringly loyal to all. But his love of soldiering could never be matched by his absolute devotion to his wife Shona and his children, William and Meghan. No matter where he found himself he always found time to keep in touch with them."